ammunition, a small amount of marijuana. and various ledgers and documents that would suggest that an online prostitution and human trafficking operation was being conducted from the location. >> reporter: a 12-year veteran with the baltimore city fire department, simmons was arrested monday. wjz has learned he had been arrested for human trafficking and prostitution back in 2010 but was never charged. >> as of this moment, he has been suspended without bay -- pay. and we will begin our preliminary investigation into this situation. >> reporter: police also seized several computers, flash drives, condoms, and sex toys, from inside the warehouse. ian knoll runs a business on the ground floor. >> i never thought for a second that anything of this type of magnitude would be taking place. not here. >> reporter: 33-year-old franklin coit, a convicted felon, is also charged with running a prostitution ring and after-hours club. he, too, was arrested for the same charges in 2010. >> reporter: we've learned that simmons has been taken to

central booking. he faces a number of state charges before the federal charges. and those in themselves include human trafficking, gun charges and of course those prostitution charges. live at city police headquarters, i'm jessica kartalija, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right, jessica, thank you. and those federal charges jessica talked about are still pending. tonight, the city fire department is also dealing with a controversy over a proposed pay raise for chief james clack. wjz is live at city hall. derek valcourt has concerns over the possible salary increase. derek? >> reporter: we're not talking about a large increase. we're talking about a 4.1% increase if approved but it comes after the closure of two fire companies and it has some folks crying foul. >> it's infuriating. really is. >> ianthea darling is not happy that the firefighters who run

near her are slated to close. which is why they are considering giving fire chief james clack a $3200 raise next year has her so upset. >> people's lives are in danger. and you're talking about giving someone a pay raise? please. come on. >> reporter: mayor stephanie rawlings-blake wants a contract extension for clack until 2018, with incremental pay raises. chief clack released a statement to wjz saying, i am very happy that the mayor has asked me to continue to serve as fire chief for the next several years. we have made great progress and have more work to do. >> reporter: the mayor also issued a statement, praising the fire chief and touting his accomplishment. >> the mayor points to only 17 last year. in a statement, they say the mayor believes that extending his contract will allow him to continue to implement it. but the pay increase also outrages firefighters and their

union representatives. >> if there's no money, there's no money. we should all feel the pain. it's my opinion, he should just turn the raise down. that's my opinion. again, it's a slap in the face to the people he leads. >> you don't give yourself a raise, you don't accept a raise when your men are doing more with less. that's just a disgusting, disgusting proposal. >> reporter: those firing at union represents -- representatives say they will be personally on hand to tell the mayor and the members of the board of estimates how they feel about all of this. and tell them they don't think that clack should get that pay increase. live at city hall, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. the board of estimates meets tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. at city hall. >> a terror suspect who threatened to blow up buildings in washington, d.c. reaches a plea agreement with prosecutors. vic is in the newsroom with details on this for us. vic? >> reporter: mary, a massachusetts man will plead guilty plead guilty to charges targeting the pentagon and capitol building.

resjuan fertes plotted to fly remote controlled planes into the building with explosives. he agreed to plea guilty for a lesser sentence. he was arrested in september by undercover fbi averages -- agents, posing. they say the public was never in danger. >> they must give final approval at a hearing later this month. three men accused in the high-profile killing of an innocent teenager faces a judge. mike hellgren was in court for the plea. >> reporter: kai, they said they were not guilty but little else. they will now face a trial by jury and will decide their fate, which could be life in prison. >> reporter: . >> reporter: these three young men, antoine mosely, derek brown, pleaded not guilty to gunning down an innocent 12- year-old. and those who showed up in court to support them had

little to say as emotions ran high. >> i said kiss my [ bleep ]. don't be quoting me. >> reporter: witnesses were reluctant to come forward. and prosecutors used surveillance video to crack the case. the state's attorney made it a target of a new unit that hits repeat offenders. >> we need to stop this. our city is too torn up with murders. and this is an awful one. >> reporter: police say they opened fire and left johnson for dead on the pavement. he was hospitalized for two days before he passed. >> reporter: a wjz investigation revealed johnson and his friends were the target of mistaken identity, that the suspects were looking for other young men. >> to be gunned down in the street. and he hasn't done nothing to no one. just trying to live your life as best you can. just stop the violence. that's all i ask. please. should no parent feel the pain that i'm feeling right now. >> reporter: city councilwoman mary mary pat clarke was in court for the plea. she said it is critical as it

moves through the justice system. >> there are no wins here. only losses. losses, losses of young lives. >> reporter: and the trial is now scheduled for august 30th. reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you. police found two guns at the scene. johnson was shot four times. howard county issues a -- issues new water restrictions tonight. repairs to the water main in baltimore city are resulting in a limited water supply for everyone tied into baltimore's water system. now, howard county's executive is asking people to refrain from washing their cars and watering their lawns. residents are also urged to take shorter showers. >> some storms are popping up around maryland. it's overcast outside right now. with temperatures around normal for mid-july. meteorologist bernadette woods is in the first warning weather center, tracking live doppler radar. bernadette? >> okay. so we're going to go right to doppler radar and show you there are thunderstorms as you were saying, coming down from the north. and they're getting pretty

close to the beltway. but they are weakening as they move our direction. i want to put it into motion. they're almost expanding more so than moving. and their movement is slow, maybe about 20 miles to the east/southeast. but what we're seeing is a couple of thunderstorms that popped up over southern parts of pennsylvania, drifted over to the maryland side. and have been starting to weaken and expanding into more showers than thunderstorms. you can see that leading edge, just to the northwest of perry hall, just to the north of towson and north of the beltway right there. and it's coming a little more so for finks burg. there's another area that has pond up on the eastern shore. couple of thunderstorms now dying down into showers. and this gust front, which is also prompting more showers and gusts of winds, 20 to 30 miles per how, -- hour, moves off to the southwest. switch it over and move you temperature-wise. 85 degrees is where we sit in baltimore. a lot of mid- to upper 80s in baltimore. we'll take you closer and show you, look how that drops at the thunderstorm in westminster. 70 degrees now. we'll have a full forecast

coming up shortly. may have stood up to last summer's big east earthquake. but the washington monument still needs a lot of help. alex demetrick reports, it needs $15 mill yoon and -- $15 million and a year and a half in repairs. >> reporter: you can see the tourists look up. but that's about all they can do at the washington monument. it's been closed to visitors since it was seriously rattled in a 5.8 earthquake last august. but not everyone from out of town knows that. >> coming all the way from georgia, we were looking forward to visiting it. and we were looking at it and found out it was going to be closed. >> i would love to take the kids to see all of washington from the top of the washington monument. great experience for them. >> reporter: but the structural engineers found cracks, missing stone and mortar, and slipped panels of marble. to fix it -- >> the work itself is difficult. getting there is even more difficult. >> reporter: according to the national parks service, that means extensive preparation. >> the main thing is the

scoffolding. -- scaffolding. it's very difficult to get to. 555 feet. we have to put scaffolding around the whole thing. scaffold the inside. >> reporter: with the end looking something like this. although that could be a tourist draw all on its own. >> i seen when they had scaffolding on the statue of liberty as well. >> yeah, kind of neat engineering feat as well. >> reporter: we hope to mobilize in september. if everything goes well, then we could be done by late 2013. we'll have to come back then, huh? [ laughter ] >> reporter: and take in the view from inside. alex demetrick, wjz eyewitness news. >> the washington monument was completed in 1884. before the quake, it brought about 600,000 visitors a year. still ahead at 5:00. high-speed chase at the airport. what's happening to the man who drove his suv on a runway at philadelphia. i'm andrea fujii at the maryland food bank, where there's a big need for

donations this summer. but it's not for food. i'll tell you what it is just ahead. i'm mike schuh at the gm plant in whitemarsh. where they're celebrating an anniversary. five years with no trash going to a land fill. how they're doing it when eyewitness news continues. and we're tracking some storms moving through the area. don't miss the updated first warning weather forecast with bernadette. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

partly cloudy. and 85 degrees in central maryland right now. the complete first warning weather forecast is coming up. we're not even halfway through the summer. and the maryland food bank is already in dire need of a hot weather essential. it's not food. andrea fujii explains how you can help. >> reporter: after eight days of nearly back-to-back code red heat advisories and no air conditioning after the june 29th storm, thousands of

marylanders sought relief at cooling centers. but the water that helped cool them off is now in short supply. >> when it's an unusually hot spell for a long period of time, then that inventory depletes very quickly. >> reporter: the maryland food bank provides water for dozens of cooling centers across the state. and have so far dislbtd -- distributed 70,000 bottles, twice as many as last year. so now it's not food donations they need. >> no, we need water. >> four week ago, this storage was filled with water. now, it's only about a quarter full. said we have to again recoup and figure out how we're going to get our inventories back to where we need them. >> reporter: as they continue to help families who lost power. >> reporter: the agencies we serve out in the community are helping people to become whole again after the storm. >> reporter: hope rests in donors, to replenish their empty shelves. with more than two months left

of summer. >> now issue the food bank says water donations always decrease in the summer. but they're hoping for 16-ounce bottles like this, as they're expecting many more hot days ahead. kai? >> okay, andre athank you. the maryland food bank serves nearly 500,000 people across the state. if you're waiting for someone to get home from work, let's check on the roads with kristy breslin. >> hi, mary. hi, everyone. hopefully they're not heading home via the expressway. major delays there from timonia to belfast. as far as the belt loop goes, stop and go there from baltimore national pike to security boulevard. and we're looking at a solid 25 minutes on the north side inner loop from jfx to bel air road. northbound 95, a couple of slow spots. first from 32 to 100. and it slows down again, northbound 95 from the beltway to whitemarsh boulevard on that northeast side. as far as accidents go, tacoma park, at new windsor road.

and in the city, pulaski highway at north conkling. let's take a live look. northbound harrisburg expressway at shawan road. and we also have a lot of heavy traffic there as you can see. this traffic report is brought to you by the cochran firm. if you or someone you know has suffered a personal injury, call 1-800 the firm. or visit them online at cochranfirm.com for your free consultation. auto giant gm is touting the fact that most of its manufacturing plants no longer send trash to landfills. they is 100 such facilities. and one of the first was in whitemarsh. >> reporter: well, over 4 hinz transmissions roll out of this plant each day. into caddies and chevys they go. years ago, such production would have meant a mountain of trash. now, everything is recycled. there are bins all over the place. >> everything in the plant goes somewhere other than landfills. >> reporter: they've gone far

beyond the easy recycling like these metal shavings. now, with low-cost modifications, they're getting back most of the oils used to cut that metal. and much of the materials that used to come into a plant like this, came in cardboard boxes like this. not anymore. >> really the better thing to do is make them out of plastic. these get reused over and over and over again. >> reporter: now, three tons of cardboard and paper aren't used. corporate wide, gm has turned up the heat on its recycling and environmental awareness. even putting solar on the roof of this plant. >> we use this on a sunny day like today, we get about 20 to 25% of our towtle power -- total power need from our solar panels. and on the weekend, we actually send power back to the grid. >> reporter: but not everything can be recycled. >> how does something like this not end up in a landfill? >> that's fairly easy. this stuff, if you had a match, you could burn it. >> right.

>> so you can actually incinerate that, and get the energy out of it. >> reporter: so now, 90 tons of trash is either recycled or turned into energy. >> this year, we have improved our recycling 20%. >> reporter: gm says such attention to details pays off in the long run. >> reporter: so what's next for this plant? in the fall, they're going to start building electric motors motors motors that had been manufactured in mexico. at the gm plant in whitemarsh, mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. back to you on tv hill. >> and that new motor will be used in gm's new electric car, called the spark. appropriate name. >> yes. >> i like that one. >> got a little spark. >> interesting. >> couple of sparks out there now. >> thank you, bernadette. 85 degrees right now. and there are a couple of thunderstorms right now. when we come back, we'll show you radar. and we will have your forecast for you.

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subway. eat fresh. all right. there it doesn't look very threatening. >> that the big cumulo nimbus cloud, bernadette?

>> it's a nimbus cloud, something coming out of it. that's the one we have to watch for. and i'm pretty sure that that one is. we'll show you first warning doppler radar. there are a couple of those clouds that have a few showers coming out of them. so these were thunderstorms. most are weakening down to showers. and a few rumbles of storms possible. we'll take you through a few different rounds of this. this is the first one that built up. it's starting to fizzle out somewhat, but it's also expanding into showers. as we said, still some rumbles of thunder around hampstead and westminster. and that's drifting slowly to the southeast. but it is breaking up along the way. this is interesting. this is a boundary that has come out of that round of thunderstorms. and it's making its way down to the southwest. but also building up to a round of showers, gusty winds, maybe 20 to 30 miles per hour, with it. and you can see even a thunderstorm building out of that one. and over on the eastern shore, which is what i think that camera was geared at, would be this round of what was thunderstorms and may still have a little thunder. but it's weakening down into

some showers from chestertown to queens town. switch it over and show you that the clouds were mixing with sunshine as we move through the day. then we saw some of the showers and thunderstorms scattering around with that stall to the south. a little breeze out there ought of the -- out of the east. and overall, this is a very typical summer day here in july. 85 suggests is where we sit in baltimore. a little cooler in ocean city, with that wind off the water. and 89 is where we've topped out so far. notice the average is 88. so we're very close to that average. we're going to be for the entire week. but also notice that record 107 degrees. that's our all-time record high for baltimore. fortunately, we're not dealing with that this afternoon. the extreme heat has moved out west once again. for us, yes, there's some heat out there. but more typical summertime heat. with temperatures mainly in the upper 80s. here's the front that has basically been to our south for about 24 to 48 hours now. that front is going to stay down to our south. for another two days and then come back up to the north.

but with it around, tomorrow, and each as we head into thursday. the small chance for a shower or thunderstorm out there. so just that small chance. but on thursday night, a new low is going to start to come along this front. it will change this back into a warm front and move back up to the north. thursday night, friday and saturday. as that happens, our chances for more widespread showers and thunderstorms are going to go up. so the forecast looks like this. here's the jet stream. it pushes off to the north. it will bring a little warmer air to the north also. it has it going back into the 90s. talk about numbers. 84 degrees. that's our bay temperature now. very warm. tonight, we are going down to 68 degrees. tomorrow, we are going back up to our average of 88 degrees. the chance for a shower or thunderstorm. it's a small chance. so most people won't see anything. but we do still have that chance with that front around. but the chances increase as we head towards the weekend. >> all right, bernadette. thank you. well, one member of the u.s. air rifle team has turned

a personal tragedy into a motivation to make her first olympic games. sarah sure says she is ready to shoot for gold. and drew levinson reports for wjz, with her story from colorado springs. >> reporter: deep inside the u.s. olympic training center in colorado springs, america's shooting star, sarah sheer, practices for hours on the gun range. the 21-year-old is aiming for the gold metal. in the women's 10-meter air rifle competition at the summer olympics in london. >> you are 10 meters away, aiming at what? >> well, a black circle just like this. >> reporter: the center of that circle is about the size of a pinhead. and she has to hit it 40 times. >> reporter: can you do it? >> i can. i have before. i know i can. >> reporter: sarah started shooting competitively when she was 9. it's in her blood. she claims she's a descendant of daniel boon.

sarah isn't the first member of her family to make the olympic team. her brother steven competed in beijing in 2008. he's become an inspiration for her. >> reporter: steven was on the men's shooting team. >> we grew up shooting together. we coached each other. >> reporter: then two years ago, steven turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. sarah turned her grief into motivation. >> he knew my potential from the very beginning. and he always was pushing me like you can do this. and he also knew i could shoot perfect scores. >> reporter: now she hopes to bring home the gold for herself, her brother, her family, and her country of the in colorado springs, drew levinson, wjz eyewitness news. >> and sarah grew up in massachusetts, with her mother and brother. she attended texas christian university, where she won several ncaa titles. >> what a story. >> pretty inspirational. >> i'm sure more inspirational stories like that will come out. straight ahead at 5:00.

controversy over olympic security. why some homeowners in london are angry and frightened. the numbers are improving. but there's more work to be done. i'm rochelle ritchie. i'll tell you how baltimore schools faired in this. i'm ron matz at m&t bank stadium. international soccer is returning to baltimore. the story coming up here on wjz. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

it it is

it is just before 5:30. 85 degrees and partly cloudy. beautiful out there. good evening, everybody. thank you for staying with eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. new numbers show a slight improvement in the education of baltimore city students. but there is still a long way to go. wjz is live at city school headquarters. rochelle ritchie has a look at the maryland state saassessment -- assessment results. rochelle? >> reporter: well, mary, the results are mixed and reveal the challenges ahead. >> reporter: dr. andres alonzo reveal the results for the 2012msa assessment assessment test. the results not bad, but not good. >> the numbers matter. and they matter tremendously. >> reporter: baltimore city school's numbers remain fairly dormant to last year. math scores in grades 3 through 8 were up in 2011. where 61.2% scored in proficient or advanced. this year, an increase.

>> summer school last year was all about path. because we knew math was the subject we needed to make the best progress. >> reporter: focusing slowly on math, seemed to hurt reading. which distributioned 69% to just under 68%. >> from the new entrants, what we're seeing seeinga is a far worse performance in terms of reading than we're seeing in math. >> reporter: across the state, nearly 90% of elementary students pass the reading and math tests. and more than 80% are meeting state standards. gilmore principal says his school was on the lowest performing cities last year. improvement and teaching strategies help to improve the scores. >> we had the largest growth in reading by 16 points. and in math by 20 points. >> reporter: while the numbers are improving, dr. alonzo says

increasing on the scores. >> it's a test that is insufficient for their future. >> there's no writing in the msas. and if you have a test that doesn't include writing, schools will not teach writing. >> reporter: and in baltimore, they will introduce a new test in three years, which will focus on reading and math. but will also focus on writing. live in baltimore, rochelle ritchie, wjz eyewitness news. >> rochelle, thank you. we have more test scores in anne arundel county. 90% of students passed reading and math. in howard county, 95% passed. fbi divers will resume their efforts tomorrow to retrieve a boat that capsized off north shore of long island. the vessel sank july 4th, killing three children. part of the thor-foot boat -- 34-foot boat appears to be stuck on the sea bed floor. 27 people were on board at the time. more information is being released after a teenager

disappears on an adventure tour in hawaii. denise is in the newsroom with more on the investigation of the tour company. denise? >> reporter: well, kai, hawaiian officials say that the company that took the teen hiking did not have a proper permit. hawaii pack and paddle. their personality only allows them to take specific spots on the bay and hike along a designated trail. tyler madoff and another boy were swept beyond that designated area. madoff is still missing. the other boy was rescued. he is recovering at a hawaiian hospital. >> the tour company says there were two tour guides and two other adults with the group of 11 teenagers. a judge in london has ruled against residents who wanted to keep the military from putting a missile on their building's roof during the olympics. as monica villamizar reports for wjz, they believe this could make their building a terrorist target. >> reporter: this london apartment building is about to

get a new feature. rooftop missiles. a british judge ruled that the military can legally install them. and that's upsetting residents. >> i'm scared. and i'm scared for my kids as well because we're living here. >> reporter: the missiles similar to this one can shoot down a hijacked aircraft. london security forces are using the missiles to protect people. but residents worry this will make this a target for terrorists. >> can't really change much. >> reporter: east london residents filed suit in the city's high country -- court. but the judge threw it out saying the weapons present no real threat to the resident. >> the keer indication of the judge today is that the ministry of defense now has the power to militarize the private homes of any person in britain. >> reporter: the british military is expected to install the surface to air missiles within days. and this bell is just one of

six locs in london where the weapons will be deployed. >> reporter: it's all part of britain's massive security operation. fighter ships, naval ships and more than 20,000 guards will work to keep it safe. it offers a clear view to downtown london. in london, monica villamizar, wjz eyewitness news. >> surface to air missiles were also usedas a security measure during the 2008 games in beijing, china. a pennsylvania man admits to driving his suv. he pled guilty to disrupting airport operations. he said he intended to run his jeep into a fence in march. police chased him at speeds of worn 1 hinz miles an hour. he has agreed to pay $25,000 in rest accusation and could still- - restitution. and could still face 20 years in prison. flights at newark, new

jersey airport were at a halt. smoke was discovered in the air traffic control tower's elevator shaft. that smoke has cleared and flights are now recovering. there are delays around the country. president obama is pushing his plan to extend tax breaks for the middle class. but rival mitt romney and other republicans in congress want to keep tax cuts for all americans. danielle nottingham has tonight's wam pain report from washington. president obama took has tax cut message to iowa. he's trying to convince voters that extending bush-era tax cuts for households making less than $250,000 a year, is good for the economy. >> i believe that we should make sure the taxes on the 98% of americans don't go up. and then we should let the tax cuts expire for folks like me. >> reporter: the president sat down with the mclachlans in

cedar rapids, a middle class family he says will benefit from his plan. >> we have been able to offer the mclauck lans about $4900 in tax relief. >> reporter: the president warned congress, he would veto any extension of tax cuts for weltier americans. >> this is setting the tone between the president and members of the republican congress. with neither side willing to hand over an election year victory. >> there this not going to help our economy. this their is nothing worse than election year politics. >> reporter: romney calls this a matter of economic freedom and insists the president's plans would hurt small businesses. >> so at the very time the american people are seeing fewer jobs created than we feed, the president announces he's going to make it harder for jobs to be created. >> reporter: if congress doesn't act, the tax cuts will expire at the end of year. in washington, danielle nottingham, wjz eyewitness news. >> and in the senate today, republicans are pushing back

against a democratic measure that would give tax cuts to companies that hire new workers and invest in new equipment. stay with we'll for -- wjz for complete coverage of campaign 2012. we'll continue to bring you the latest on the candidates and issues on air and online. wjz.com. chevrolet is offering a new money-back guarantee, hoping to draw new customers into its dealerships. the general motors brands says buyers can get refunds on new vehicles for up to 60 days from date of purchase. chevy says it shows customers the company is confident in its cars and trucks. chevy is also offering no haggle prices to clear out its 2012 models. time for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find. the new organizers guarantee they'll pay their bills. grading the first half of the orioles season. and how to make the perfect tena cotta. that's the sweet italian

custard dessert. remember to look for the updated forecast from wjz's first warning weather team. well, soccer lovers are getting pumped up for another big international match right here in baltimore. ron matz reports with the preparations for the showdown coming to m&t bank stadium. >> it's in the air. >> reporter: baltimore loves its soccer. tommy raul played for the base. and says the game continues to grow. >> it's all the way out in harford county. it's all over now. >> reporter: more than 100 thousand fans flocked to two previous. cottonwood and liverpool come to charm city. >> yes, it will be a very good match. to then ham and liverpool. >> reporter: they helped put soccer on the map here. >> when ball game in town,

soccer became a sport. and we really need to have a professional game here again. but in lieu of that, we have these professional games. >> reporter: this has local fans buzzing. >> all of the guys are really athletic. strong. handsome players. [ laughter ] >> reporter: baltimore will be in the international spotlight. the match will be televised here and in england. >> and so it's going to be a hard, well-fought game. it's going to be very, very competitive. and folks are going to be in for a treat. >> goal! how about that? >> reporter: ron matz, wjz eyewitness news. >> and the match on saturday, july 28th, will begin at 1:00. for ticket information, log onto wjz.com. and click on news. >> all right. still ahead on eyewitness news tonight. adventure. it turns into a disaster. what caused this hot air balloon accident.

and what happened to the people on board. split decision. a teen jumps off a ride at the beach. the reason she decided to take that plunge. i am meteorologist bernadette woods and for bob turk in the first warning weather center. we're putting together our exclusive first warn being five- day forecast. and we'll have it when we return. >> here's today's report from wall street. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

you don't exactly have that green thumb. but your siding?

that's pro. finish like a pro with cabot wood stains. cabot...that's pro. welcome back, everybody. sunshine out there. but also some clouds. and this is why. we have a couple of thunderstorms that have popped up across the state. show you first warning doppler radar. and they are scattered about. we had this batch, which is weakening somewhat more so. showers at this point, and drifting off to the east/southeast. just starting to make its way on the northern fringes of the beltway. we also have this round. sort of built up. building up once again. look at that thunderstorm just around queenstown. and another thunderstorm to the west of chestertown. and a little farther west, we have a couple of showers building up into a thunderstorm right now. and you can see it just to the south of mount airy. now, let's switch it over and

show you, we have that same front out there for you. smaller chance than today, though. high of about 88 degrees, which is our average. take a look at our next couple of days. we're closer to average. but we see the chances really start to bump up as that front gets back to the north friday, saturday and sunday. kai? >> all right, bernadette. thank you. weather causes major issues in north carolina. flash floods leave cars under water. several drivers remain stranded. and more than 30 cars had to be abandoned on the interstate. this happened in greensboro. the national weather service says as much as 5 inches of rain fell. residents in greensboro are being told to stay off the roads. in idaho, they could use some rain. crews are battling several wildfires all at once. the one most concerned started as a brush fire and spread. look at this. this stretch of highway has even shut down. but it's now been reopened. the red cross has opened shelters for residents who were forced to leave their homes because of those fires. >> some incredible video from

arizona. take a look at a hot air balloon. and it crashes near phoenix. witnesses say gusty winds drag the balloon a few hundred feet through a field when it finally stoped, five people crawled out of the basket. all were unharmed. well, a fight breaks out at a florida courthouse, bringing two men to blows. >> get your hand off me. [ bleep ] >> the violence started after a double murder case got postponed. jason claire is accused of killing two men outside of a nightclub. he said he didn't shoot them until after they beat him up. claire's father was arrested in that scuffle. he said he was ganged up on. the victim's father and family friend were also arrested. a new jersey teenager takes fate into her own hands during a thunderstorm. melanie ra mando jumped off this sky ride. look at the circle here. and she just jumped off the sky ride. the ride lost power. it stranded her and other

riders 35 feet in the air. as that storm approached. she said she jumped because she feared she was going to get struck by lightning. >> i looked and saw it. and i was like, we're right next to a huge metal pole. in my mind, i was like, we are in a metal death trap right now. i was like, i'm either getting struck by lightning or i'll break a leg maybe. >> the company said riders were being evacuated when the girl jumped. in tonight's wjz healthwatch. can pipe clothing cause health problems? as mary kay kleist reports for wjz, some doctors say the clothes you wear could be responsible from everything from digestive issues to headache. >> reporter: it's one thing to be fashionable. it's another thing to be so uncomfortable that you have to go to the doctor. >> with skinny jeans themselves are too tight. they squeeze too much. they flatten too much. uncomfortable around the waistline. >> reporter: and doctors say too much squeezing yourself can

cause nerve compression. >> more people who wear tight pants. the most common is meralgia paresthetica. >> jamming into tight jeans can also cause abdominal discomfort, heartburn and belching. >> it can also be a problem when someone's waist is at least 3 inches larger than their pant size. >> the pain and discomfort for some patients is uncomfortable. so they require medication. >> reporter: if you wear body shapers, remember, they're made for smoothing, not squeezing you down a size. >> it does leave marks on your legs sometimes. at least it does for me. >> and if worn too tight too long, it can also keep the lungs from fully inflating, reducing oxygen intake, making you feel lightheaded. a dress shirt and tie and k make you look better.

but seven out of 10 men buy shirts too small. >> you have your carotid going up to the brain. >> that can cause headaches and blurred vision. tight collars and ties can also cause muscle tension in the shoulders. >> there's no need to cause yourself injury just to be fashionable. >> reporter: and heavy handbags can also cause back issues. the american chiropractor association says women should carry no more than 10% of their body weight. how are you feeling, kai? loosen that tie up. >> check in with eyewitness news at 6:00. for these stories and more, vic is standing by with a preview. baltimore's fire department rocked. federal prosprostitution -- prostitution ring. and sad news about a very creative young man wjz introduced you to, who challenged the fashion world with duct tape. check in for these stories and the day's breaking news new at

6:00. a dog so smart, he can read 30 chinese characters, identify pictures and pick up items as requested. his name is fuze. that means tiger. he has been raced in north prov insz of china. his owner taught him characters after he could recognize animals just after two months of training. now, fuze knows his name, where he lives. plus, 20 other characters. >> i'mare you sure there's no bacon laced on those? >> well, there might be. but dogs are smart. dogs definitely know it's work. >> that was a german shepherd. they're very smart. >> very smart particularly. still ahead on eyewitness news. baseball's best gather in kansas city for the all-star game. and some orioles are basking in the spotlight. >> mark has more coming up. ,,,,

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♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone likes a bit of order in their life. virtual wallet helps you get it. keep track of spending, move money with a slide, and use the calendar. all to see your money how you want. ♪ baseball's all-star game is tonight in kansas city. and three orioles take the play in the game. sports director mark viviano has more on how baltimore's

best are enjoying the experience. mark? >> mary, they are enjoying it. adam jones, matt weetders and jim johnson. three orioles, earning all-star status. and that's two more players in the perennial popular boston red sox. o's fo know to make their moment in the spotlight. adam jones even made it in the top 10 list. >> adam jones, ladies and gentlemen. >> players need notes from two different doctors from getting out of this. >> jones even crashed the espn broadcast set during home run set to sample the city's cuisine. he is eating up his second trip to the all-star game. >> it happened to two of my teammates here with me. it's each better than myself. if i'm here by myself, just one guy representing the orioles.

we got three guys. i found out ortiz is the only guy representing baltimore. when was the last time only one red sox was here? it's cool i get to share with sweeters and johnson who played their tails off the first half. >> reporter: and the all-star experience include these, a red carpet ride through the city, en route to the ballpark tonight. jones and wieters are each in the all-star games for the second time. as jim johnson's time to pick in the summer classics. i'll have more on the all-star orioles coming up next hour. in fact, we'll hear from matt matt wieters. that's all ahead in sports at 6:00. back to you for now. >> all right, mark. thank you. still ahead on eyewitness news. stoking the fires of controversy. the mayor says the fire chief will stay on the job. but it is his proposed pay raise that has many up in arms. i'm derek valcourt, i'll i'm derek valcourt, i'll explai,,,, [ barks ]

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at unitedhealthcare insurance company, we understand that commitment. so does aarp, serving americans 50 and over for generations. so it's no surprise millions have chosen an aarp dicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. to find out more, call today. coming up on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. taking the heat. controversy over a proposed pay raise. from the city fire chief as the city shut down the fire company. >> a city firefighter is arrested. city police headquarters. chilling details straight ahead. the numbers are improving. but there's more work to be done. i'm rochelle ritchie. i'll tell you how baltimore city schools faired -- fared in this year's msa test. a beautiful night out

tonight. we had great summer weather. stick around for the updated first warning weather forecast. >> check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. tempers flare over the city fire chief's salary. >> should we get a raise when money is so tight? >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> here's what people are talking about. >> baltimore's fire chief has asked to stay on at the fire department. but it's his proposed raise that has some up in arms. derek valcourt has more on the proposed salary increase. and why it has so many upset. de